Copernicus Climate Change Service says results a ‘large and continuing shift’ in the climate
The world has baked for 12 consecutive months in temperatures 1.5C (2.7F) greater than their average before the fossil fuel era, new data shows.
Temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 were the highest on record, scientists found, creating a year-long stretch in which the Earth was 1.64C hotter than in preindustrial times.
The findings do not mean world leaders have already failed to honour their promises to stop the planet heating 1.5C by the end of the century – a target that is measured in decadal averages rather than single years – but that scorching heat will have exposed more people to violent weather. A sustained rise in temperatures above this level also increases the risk of uncertain but catastrophic tipping points.
I mean, it depends. Sub-replacement birthrate means gerontocracy and you’re currently seeing where that is leading. Pensioners by and large aren’t great at changing things.
World-wide population growth is going to stop naturally in the next couple of decades as the last big countries finish their demographic transition, after that there’s going to be at least a slight decrease and then stabilisation as industrialised countries figure out how to have replacement-level birthrates again. The earth certainly can sustain that many people indefinitely, with plenty of room to spare. Also at our living standards (minus cars plus public transit), and even with fewer working hours.
If you don’t want to have kids fine don’t have kids but the climate argument is BS. Don’t think of it as producing a consumer, but producing a voter interested in the state of the earth 100 years from now.
Kurzgesagt had a good video about that recently that hit on those same points. Like you said, you don’t want a society of old people with few young people. Then they vote for short term solutions and don’t care about long term problems.
I mean, that already happens now, but even more so.